Am I the only one sick of seeing all of the abstract style of advertising??

[Steelmaker]

Seriously, why can't Sony just bring out ads that basically say "here's our system and this is what it can do." Why are we seeing crap like baby dolls bleeding from it's eyes and slogans like "this is living?"

Hopefully with the changes in PR this will filter down to better advertising for the PS3. So far Sony has done a piss poor job of informing the customer of just what the PS3 can do for them! Every PS3 commercial needs to hit on the major points of the system..

CELL
Blu Ray
Sixaxis
HD functions
Wi Fi
Broadband
PSN/Home

and then hit them with footage of titles like GT 5 Prologue, Metal Gear 4, Heavenly Sword, Motor Storm, Ratchet and Clank, Wiepout HD, Little Big Planet, etc.

Is it really so hard to understand?!? I don't get it! You hire all of these so called "experts" that have degrees in advertising, marketing, business, etc and yet they somehow completely miss the mark.

[SS316SRV]

Originally Posted by Steelmaker

Seriously, why can't Sony just bring out ads that basically say "here's our system and this is what it can do." Why are we seeing crap like baby dolls bleeding from it's eyes and slogans like "this is living?"

Hopefully with the changes in PR this will filter down to better advertising for the PS3. So far Sony has done a piss poor job of informing the customer of just what the PS3 can do for them! Every PS3 commercial needs to hit on the major points of the system..

CELL
Blu Ray
Sixaxis
HD functions
Wi Fi
Broadband
PSN/Home

and then hit them with footage of titles like GT 5 Prologue, Metal Gear 4, Heavenly Sword, Motor Storm, Ratchet and Clank, Wiepout HD, Little Big Planet, etc.

Is it really so hard to understand?!? I don't get it! You hire all of these so called "experts" that have degrees in advertising, marketing, business, etc and yet they somehow completely miss the mark.

Here is a reason...because your ad..."Here is what the PS3 can do...He is game footage...[snore...snore...snore]." Is boring. People wont remember what was said, they will just remember that it was boring. At least you can say, "Oh yeah that commercial with the creepy baby doll - that was for the PS3."

[Shin-Ra]

Informative ads don't necessarily sell the most hardware.

[stockstar1138]

Originally Posted by Shin-Ra

Informative ads don't necessarily sell the most hardware.

well the abstract ones don't seem to be doing it either.

[stockstar1138]

what about this as an idea. after the end of the commercial flas the "playstation 3" logo like they currently do, then flash a blu-ray one too.

[Cyorg]

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

what about this as an idea. after the end of the commercial flas the "playstation 3" logo like they currently do, then flash a blu-ray one too.

Now that is a good idea.

[monkeytap]

as recently demonstrated by apple for the iphone, informative ads can still be catchy. those ads showed a lot about the prodcut, what it looked like, how to use it, what features it has, ect. the ads caught peoples attention and had consistency so you know its an apple commercial and more specifically an iphone. i could go on about those ads, but we are talking about the ps3....

i agree with the original poster that the current ps3 ads suck. they do nothing to convince a potential customer to go ps3 rather than wii or xbox 360. who cares if they remember what the commercial was, we want buyers!

[Manco]

The Marketing people at Sony actually do know what they are doing. What is called "impression" advertising does not always work. You can deliver a billion impressions via billboards, commercials, print ads, etc... but unless the intended targets of those impressions don't even understand what you are talking about (the "message") you are not going to generate a single sale (a "conversion").

Sony has taken the approach called "Network Marketing" to sell Blu-ray. Just like selling Amway, I tell you and you sell someone else, etc. Network Marketing actually has the highest conversion rate in the Marketing world. This forum is a form of Network Marketing. Network Marketing is the best way to get the word out about new and challenging products because it requires an "explanation" to sell or "convert" someone as to why they should choose one product over the other. Fanatics, like Home Theater enthusiasts, are driven almost to religious fervor, to "carry the message".

By looking at the Blu-ray to HD-DVD selling ratio (70%-30%), it's working. There is little reason yet to go to mass advertising...as frustrating as it seems to us on the inside.

[haushausman]

They have degrees. They know what they are doing. Notice how we're discussing the ads now? That means they worked.

[haushausman]

Originally Posted by Cyorg

Now that is a good idea.

I second that.

[monkeytap]

Originally Posted by haushausman

They have degrees. They know what they are doing. Notice how we're discussing the ads now? That means they worked.

not to be an ass, but I hate it when people say that. that is not true, we are discussing it bc we are on blu-ray.com forums and are not satisfied. i dont think they were sitting around the drawing boards and said, "if we make this commercial really shitty, people would talk about, and therefore we would sell units"

i understand about network marketing, but we are talking about the commercials here. Ive seen plenty of really shitty ps3 ads and zero blu-ray ads. why spend the money on the commerical if its not any good and doesnt send a message to the intended audience?

[haushausman]

From what I was taught at college.. that is precisely the goal. Once the consumer walks away from the ad and still remembers it it was a success. If they start talking about it it's even more of a success.

Go argue with my marketing professor at Eastern Illinois if you think I'm wrong.

[monkeytap]

excuse my potty mouth, apparently i swear a lot. is swearing against the rules?

f*&# you if it is

[bhampton]

I don't like the abstract stuff. I can see maybe suggesting it's good.

But, the PS3 is everything for my Home Theater and a ad that showed how it can do awesome photo slideshows while playing back music from the hard drive or streamed over the home network and then hop onto the internet while still playing back the music and then load up a Blu Ray and on and on.. that I think would work best.

At least there are seperate ads for games that do thier part to show the system in action.

-Brian

[Branden]

as memorable as those PS3 commmercials are, and as much as people might remember those commercials are for the PS3, they don't demonstrate the capabilities of the unit or convince anybody that it's better than the 360 or wii. all people remember is the PS3 has some weird-ass commercials.

it wouldn't hurt to make commercial weird (memorable) AND informative, make people think "that crying baby commericial is royaly fuct, but the motion sense thing looked cool" instead of just "what's with the crying baby?"

[buckshot]

I loved the weird ad with the rain on the drums, then the cars start to fall then the lasers and the guys fighting, that commercial was awesome. I wish they'd put the ads on a disc like pixar is doing with their shorts.

and abstract can work. the 1 superbowl ad I remember best was the one where ali (now) is shadow boxing for about 30 seconds, then www.webmd.com comes up on the screen.

[monkeytap]

Originally Posted by haushausman

From what I was taught at college.. that is precisely the goal. Once the consumer walks away from the ad and still remembers it it was a success. If they start talking about it it's even more of a success.

Go argue with my marketing professor at Eastern Illinois if you think I'm wrong.

well, there is a reason he is teaching marketing and not doing it! i went to college as well, and was taught how to critically think rather than regurgitate the "correct" answer.

like i said, we are discussing it because we are on blu-ray.com not bc it made an impression on us. and the ad is shitty, it doesnt take a college degree or anything to see that.

if a person is at best buy looking at systems to buy, will remembering the floating ps3 in a whiteroom with a weird creepy doll help? how about seeing people enjoying playing games on the wii? my money is on the wii, and so is the consumers!

im blu and ps3 all the way, but the functionality of those commercials needs to be questioned

[Manco]

Originally Posted by haushausman

From what I was taught at college.. that is precisely the goal. Once the consumer walks away from the ad and still remembers it it was a success. If they start talking about it it's even more of a success.

Go argue with my marketing professor at Eastern Illinois if you think I'm wrong.

See post #8. You are confusing "exposure" with "sales". They are not the same. That's a misnomer of people whom have no marketing experience. Retake your marketing class at East Ill.

EDIT: "exposure" X "rate of conversion" = "sales"

[monkeytap]

Originally Posted by buckshot

I loved the weird ad with the rain on the drums, then the cars start to fall then the lasers and the guys fighting, that commercial was awesome. I wish they'd put the ads on a disc like pixar is doing with their shorts.

and abstract can work. the 1 superbowl ad I remember best was the one where ali (now) is shadow boxing for about 30 seconds, then www.webmd.com comes up on the screen.

i did like this commercial as well, BUT i never saw it on TV. only the internet, so whatever! show it more!

[Manco]

Originally Posted by monkeytap

i understand about network marketing, but we are talking about the commercials here. Ive seen plenty of really shitty ps3 ads and zero blu-ray ads. why spend the money on the commerical if its not any good and doesnt send a message to the intended audience?

I does send a message. You are just not the target.